First Week: Learning the Ropes

My first class started on Tuesday 6/15. I was a little nervous because I was experiencing a little “lingual amnesia” from lack of practice. However, I was overall excited. I was so excited that I tried to start the meeting an hour before the actual appointment. It was a hilarious misunderstanding. The syllabus of the class showed meeting at 5 pm CST, which is my time zone in Texas as well as Costa Rica. I failed to realize that we have daylight saving while my professor in Costa Rica does not. I frantically tried to contact the professor and she told us quickly we are meeting in an hour! It was an interesting mistake as well as a learning experience, and I would rather be early than late!

The first class went on and my “lingual amnesia” luckily started going away, and it turns out I remember more Spanish than I thought. It was like riding a bike after a long time. Nonetheless, I still need to do some more reviewing on the grammar.

Although the class is virtual, the professor tried her best to make it as interactive as possible and made us move our bodies as if we were in Costa Rica with her. I had so much fun that I felt an adrenaline rush hours after the class. The class is composed of only 5 students, which is a first for me. It made me feel very comfortable and I was able to practice, ask questions, and connect with my professor and peers better.

I have three cats and they are great distractions for working and studying from home. Cats are known to be independent, but for some reason, they become more interested in me while I am on camera. My clingiest cat, Clyde, always sleeps right next to my laptop while the other two do a sporadic play with my headphone wires and pen while I am writing. You may ask why I do not keep them out of my room. I have tried, but they have made my room their territory and will literally try to break down the door to reclaim it. It is not too bad; I love them, and my peers appreciate the occasional cuteness.

On Saturday, my friends and I decided to go take some photos in Victorian costumes in Galveston while escaping the heat. While there, we discovered an amazing Honduran food restaurant, called Honduras food. It made some of us nostalgic about the service trip we made to Honduras in our freshman year, so we decided to eat there. It was a small family-owned business. The Honduran lady owner asked us about our studies and shared her hopes and dreams of her children becoming doctors. She settled down in Galveston hoping they would have no trouble going to the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston one day. As a gracious businesswoman, she introduced the cheap drinks and explained the foods to us because she understood we are college students. She and her husband made us feel very welcomed. The food was delicious. I had pupusas and horchata while some of my other friends were able to learn something new through cuisines.

It was a successful and productive first week. I am very much looking forward to the next classes and activities in the coming week.